Art of fire-polishing glass.



No. 766,514. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. C. J. NOLAN.

ART OF FIRE POLISHING GLASS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1904.

H0 MODEL. 2 SHBETS-SHEET l.

No. 766,514. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. G. J. NOLAN ART OF FIRE POLISHING GLASS.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA PB. 25, 1904.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

% I mugmumumnnm:

Mum I I unnum- No. 766,514. Patented August 2, 1904.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CORNELIUS J. NOLAN, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE LlBBEY GLASS COMPANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

ART OF FIRE-POLISHING GLASS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,514, dated August 2, 1904.

Application filed April 25, 1904. Serial No. 204,874. tNo model.)

' {LU 107mm 7'15 Z/ ried upon the arm L, upon which is formed a Be it known that l, CORNELIUS J. NOLAN, a sleeve which is angularly adjustable or rotacitizen of the United States, residing at Totable upon a sleeve M and is supported in posiledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, tion by a collar 0/. The sleeve M is mounted 5 have invented certain new and useful lniproveupon a standard N and is provided with an ments in the Art of Fire-Polishing Glass, of adjusting-screw N, which has screw-threaded which the following is a specification. engagement with the sleeve M and which My invention relates to improvements in j abuts against or rests upon the top of the the art of polishing a glass surface so as to standard N. The screw-threaded shaft N is 10 remove marks and other imperfections thereprovided with a hand-wheel n, by means of from and leave the same in a finished condiwhich it may be rotated. tion by softening such surface of the glass by O O are nozzles through which blasts of the application of fire. cold air may be [)l'OJCCiZOtl against the glass The objectof my invention is to so improve article or blank P, which is mounted upon 5 this art that an article, particularly pressedthe rotatable plate or disk D.

glass articles and blanks for cut glass, maybe \Vith this explanation of the construction cheaply and rapidly tire-polished while at the of the apparatus 1 will explain my process. same time retaining their shape and avoiding The blank I, as shown, may be taken as typiall possibility of chipping or otherwise marcal of any article of pressed glassware or of t 20 ring the articles being so polished. This and a pressed blank to be subsequently cut in the such other objects as may hereinafter appear usual manner to form a cut-glass article.

are attained by my improvement in this art, The blank I having been pressed in the usual whichimprovement may be conveniently pracmanner will bear upon its inner face various ticed with the apparatus shown in the accornlines and imperfections arising from contact 5 panying drawings, in which with the plunger of the mold and perhaps Figurel is a plan view of a convenient form from other causes, which deprive it of the ofapparatus for practicing my improved prochigh polish which is desirable in the linished ess. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same aparticle. As soon as the blank has sufliciently paratus. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the set its shape to allow of being handled it is 3 same, and Fig. A is a plan view of the motorplaced upon the rotatable plate I). The plate wheel. I l) is then rotated beneath the gas-burner H,

Like letters of reference indicate the same which burner, it will be noted, can be adparts in the several figures of the drawings. ]l1sted both laterally and vertically to suit va- Referring by letter to the accompanying ryingretpiirenients. At the same time blasts 35 drawings, A indicates the top of a portable of cold air are projected against the exterior table or stand, which is supported upon the of the blank P through the nozzles O. The legsB and the wheels or rollers O. Mounted effect of these blasts of cold air is to keep the Within the table-top A is a rotatable plate I), exterior of the blank cool, so as to prevent which is carried upon a spindle E, the spinthe exterior of the blank from coming under 4 dle E being journaled in the bottom of the the influence of the gas-jet which is projected frame of the apparatus at c and being prointo the gas-burner H, and thus becoming disvided with convenient means for its rotation, torted. \Vhile the blasts of cold air are prosuehmeans,asillustratedin thedrawings,conjected against the exterior of the blank P sisting of an air motor or wheel F, which is while the blank is being rotated by the rota- 45 adapted to be operated by an air-blast from tion of the plate 1), a blast of flame is prothe nozzle (ar. ieetod against the inner face of the blank P H is a gas-burner to which gas may be supfrom the burner H, whereby the inner face plied through the pipe J and an air-blast of the blank P is softened and melted suflithrough the pipe l ,the gas-burner being carciently to remove all marks and defects therefrom and to give the glass the required high polish. Thereupon the jet of flame is discontinued and the blank P is removed and cooled in the usual manner.

While I have shown and described a simple, convenient, and effective form of apparatus for carrying out my process, it will be seen that my process may be carried out in a variety of ways with difierent forms of apparatus Without departing from the spirit of my invention, so long as the exterior of the blank is kept cool, substantially in the manner shown, while the interior of' the blank is being subjected to the action of a sufficiently high degree of heat, the characteristic feature of my invention being that I preserve the form of the blank under treatment-that is, I 'prevent distortion of the blank by keeping the exterior of the blank sufficiently cool during the application of the heat to the inner surface, or vice versa-that is, sufficiently cool to retain its shape instead of depending upon mechanical means for supporting the plastic blank, which would otherwise become distorted under the influence of the polishing- VVith this understanding of the fun damental characteristics of my process various methods of applying-it will be readily devised by persons skilled in the art.

It will be noted that with the process described the handling of the article is reduced to a minimum, the possibility of chipping or breaking the exterior of the article or any figure thereon may be eliminated, there is a saving due to the fact that a minimum of labor is required, and there is also a saving due to ishing heat to one surface of a glass article and simultaneously subjecting the opposite surface of the article to a cooling influence, whereby the article retains its shape during the application of the polishing heat.

2. The improvement in the art of fire-polishing glass which comprises applying a polishing heat to one surface of the glass article and simultaneously subjecting the opposite surface of the article to the action of means for keeping such surface of the article sufliciently cool to preserve the shape of the article during the application of the polishing-flame, and simultaneously rotating the article while being so treated.

3. The improvement in the art of fire-polishing glass which comprises projecting a jet of flame against one surface of the article to be polished and simultaneously projecting acooling-jet against the oppositesurface of the article to be polished so as to keep such opposite surface suiiiciently cool to prevent distortion of the article under treatment.

4. The improvement in the art of fire-polishing glass, which comprises projecting heat against a rotating blank and simultaneously subjecting said blankto the action of a cooling-jet whereby the blank is caused to retain its shape while it is subjected to the-action of said .heat.

5. The improvement in the art of fire-polish ing glass, which consists in rotating the artil/Vitnesses:

S. O. RIoHARDsoN, Jr., FRED. E. l VOLF. 

